After losing a five-round war to middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva, Demian Maia is ready to set his sights on another title shot. Maia is set to face Kendall “Da Spider” Grove at The Ultimate Fighter Finale on December 4, 2010. A win over Grove is exactly what Maia needs to put himself back in title contention and show the UFC brass that he’s worthy of another shot at Silva.

Before all of that happens, Maia has to get through Grove, which will not be an easy task. Grove is a seasoned fighter with wins over notables such as Ed Herman and Goran Reljic. Grove also has an excellent submission game that may not put someone of Maia’s caliber in danger of being submitted, but it could somewhat nullify Maia’s offense. Another factor that Grove has in his favor is his height. At 6’6” he has extremely long limbs, making it harder for Maia to strike with him. His height also brings a different element into the Jiu-Jitsu game as well because he’s able to pull off submissions and submission defenses that shorter-limbed opponents cannot.

Regardless of what Grove has to offer, Maia is regarded by many as the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioner in all of MMA, if not the world. His ground game is second to none and he regularly makes black belts look like they are beginners. In addition to an excellent ground game, Maia has been constantly improving his striking and working on his wrestling so he can put opponents down on the canvas where he can work his Jiu-Jitsu game.

Both fighters have struggled in recent times with losses and need this win. Grove will attempt to keep things standing as long as he can despite his own Jiu-Jitsu abilities. Maia’s game plan never changes and he makes no secret about that in any of his fights—he wants to take things down to the ground and get the submission. Whichever fighter is better able to impose their game plan on the other will surely have their hand raised at the end of the night.


Photo Credit: Flavio Scorsato www.flaviophotography.com/blog

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida is slated to face Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 123 on November 20, 2010, in what could be one of the most interesting match-ups of the year. What makes this fight so different is the fact that theses fighters have such diametrically opposed fighting styles, and everyone knows—styles make fights.

Machida is a martial artist in the purest sense—he aims to strike at the right moment and protect himself at all times, inflicting damage when the opportunity arises while taking the least amount of damage possible. Rampage, on the other hand, goes in to brawl and isn’t afraid to go down swinging. He’s often been quoted saying that he doesn’t have a game plan before fights, and simply goes in to “whoop some ass.” Rampage has also been very vocal about his disdain for the evasive, karate style that Machida uses. He has gone so far as to call Machida “little cheetah,” implying that he runs fast and often and is unwilling to engage his opponents. Undoubtedly, Rampage will be very outspoken in the events leading up to this fight, potentially giving Machida even more reason to prove himself.

Despite his only loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Machida has been unstoppable and seemingly untouchable in his other 16 mixed martial arts bouts. Although Rampage doesn’t have the same winning streak as Machida, he has beaten a number of noteworthy competitors such as Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, and Keith Jardine. He’s been a force to be reckoned with in the octagon and will be no easy match for Machida.

Regardless of who wins or loses, this fight is extremely important for both fighters, who are looking to get back into title contention. A win for either one means that they are on the road back to the belt that they once held, and one step closer to having their hand raised as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

“I think it was a little silly, to be honest. Of all the people he could’ve fought in the division, there are a lot of easier fighters out there than me. I mean, I might not be the best wrestler or the best Jiu-Jitsu guy in the world, but I don’t back down, I don’t tap out, and I don’t give up. Any night in the octagon with me’s going to be a rough night and I think he (Condit) knows that.”

Hardy even went on to insinuate that Condit’s flight delay was due to his reluctance to follow through and take this fight. On the subject, Hardy quipped: “Respect for him getting over here. I was worried the other day when I heard about him now getting on the plane, I thought he was trying to wiggle his way out. He’s here, be it by his own will or somebody else’s.”

Regardless of the mental games, Condit held his composure and class quite well, saying “He’s a tough fighter—I want to be in tough fights, I want to be in exciting fights, I think in the past I’ve always risen to the level of my opponents, and I think Saturday night’s gonna be no different.”

Hardy and Condit face off at UFC 120 on Saturday, October 16, at the O2 arena in London, England.

Sherk has unfortunately been surrounded by some controversy in his quest for the title, and he’d like nothing more than to completely erase that history by winning the title back again and proving to doubters that he is, without a doubt, the best at 155lbs.

He knows that many people are citing his age as a negative factor that’s working against him in the bout with Dunham, but he remains unwavering in his determination to be unaffected by others’ opinions. In a recent UFC interview, Sherk said, “What I do works and I’m not gonna change it now. I’m not willing to dial it back, I don’t care how old I am. You know, 37 years old, that’s just a number to me—that doesn’t mean anything.”

In addition to his thoughts on his age not being a negative factor, Sherk believes that his age translates to experience and that the experience he has will work greatly in his favor. He said, “I know the kid’s tough, I know he’s wrestled, he’s got some good experience, I’ve heard some good things about him, and I don’t see a whole lot of open, weak areas. But I don’t feel like he’s gonna do anything to me in the cage that I haven’t seen or had done to me before. I’ve literally fought the best of the best in this industry for a very long time, I’ve fought for world titles in two different weight classes. If he thinks I’m gonna keep up with him that’s great, let’s meet in the middle of the octagon—let’s fight and see who goes down first.”

It’s clear that Sherk is very confident in his abilities and is ready to take on the best that Dunham has to offer. Add to that the fact that Sherk is extremely motivated and you’ve got a potentially bad recipe for Evan Dunham this weekend. At the end of his interview Sherk made it clear how motivated he is, saying, “I think I’m a lot more dangerous wanting what I already had than someone else is wanting something that they’ve never had before.”

Before anything like that takes place, Shields will have to get through Kampmann, and that will be no easy task. Kampmann holds wins over notables such as Paulo Thiago and Carlos Condit. He is an excellent striker with great cardio and good submissions. Kampmann wants a shot at Georges St-Pierre’s title, but his recent loss to Paul Daley sidelined his chances. Kampmann needs this win if he wants to see that fight any time soon, especially since Shields is coming into the UFC as somewhat of an automatic title contender.

If Shields wants to cement his already impending title shot he’ll need to make a good impression on Dana White and the UFC brass by beating Kampmann. Shields has a tremendous amount of tools in his toolbox, from striking to top-notch Jiu-Jitsu. He may be the most well-rounded and formidable opponent Kampmann has ever faced.

Kampmann usually prefers to stand with his opponents initially, although he’s not a stranger to submissions when the fight calls for it. He will most likely feel out Shields with punches and see what he has to offer. Shields doesn’t mind striking and will do so if the fight permits it, but he favors the ground where his strengths in Jiu-Jitsu can shine through. Look for Shields to feel out the striking for a bit and then take things to the ground where he can obtain a more dominant position. Stylistically, this fight is an excellent match-up and will be a great bout for the UFC debut of Jake Shields.

Sean Sherk is an excellent athlete, with a stellar MMA record, but he desperately needs this win over Dunham to prove that he is still a contender. With his endless cardio, strong wrestling, and quick hands he has a large toolbox of skills to pick from. On top of being talented and well-rounded, Sherk is a veteran in the game and has seen just about everything that another MMA fighter can throw at him. This vast experience will benefit Sherk greatly and could be something that will tip the scales in his favor.

Dunham realizes the danger of Sherk’s experience, and in a recent interview said, “A guy like Sherk, you’re not gonna surprise him, he’s seen it all. So, my goal is to be the better fighter in every aspect. I know that my all-around game is better than Sherk’s.”

Sherk will most likely come out and test the waters with his boxing, and having learned his lesson from both Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, he won’t stick with that if it’s not working. If Sherk has a tough time on his feet, he will most certainly take the fight to the ground where he is extremely strong from a top-mount position.

Dunham, by his own admission, will just try to be better than Sherk wherever the fight goes, which will most likely be dictated by Sherk. Dunham has a strong MMA skillset, but the question is whether or not it will be enough to overcome the still competitive and ever dangerous Sherk.

Being the accomplished wrestler that he is, it’s very surprising that Brown didn’t go for a takedown immediately, especially considering the size and strength advantage he holds over Gamburyan. It’s possible that he wanted to showcase his striking skills or that he wanted to wait and see where Gamburyan would take the fight. It was evident that Gamburyan was comfortable standing, and his devastating standup hammered this point home to all of the viewers watching this fight. It’s this kind of tenacity and combativeness that sets Gamburyan apart from a number of other fighters his size, and it’s also what has helped him make a lasting impression on fans and the MMA world in general.

Depending upon what WEC matchmakers have in store, he may only need to win one or two more fights before he gains a shot at the featherweight title. For Mike Brown, the future is less clear. Having lost two out of his last three fights, he will have to reassess some of his strategy and put in some time working on his weaknesses. He is an excellent, talented fighter but unfortunately he’s got a long way to go before he’ll see another title shot.

No matter what happens next, we know that the WEC’s featherweight division is a deeply competitive weight class where we are sure to see a number of interesting match-ups. With names like Aldo, Faber, Garcia, and Gamburyan there’s no shortage of talented fighters who are capable of putting on an exciting and entertaining show.

Mir was quoted in an interview as saying, “I have continued not to train as hard as I think I should. That way, by the time we walk into the Octagon, I can say that I am not as prepared either.”

Cro Cop has not reacted well to this criticism, stating that Mir has a typical “American attitude,” “big mouth,” and makes “big statements.”

To add fuel to this fire, Mir was also quoted as saying, “I will show up at less than 100% and still go out there and submit him in the 1st Round.”

Cro Cop responded one last time by saying, “I think he should better keep his mouth shut, first of all. He should pray to God he doesn’t get knocked out.”

In what is shaping up to be a slight grudge match, this fight will be nothing short of exciting. The plan for both fighters is relatively straightforward—Mir will test the waters on his feet and go to the ground if things get too shaky. Cro Cop will look for the knockout and attempt to strike the entire fight.

Mir has quite a bit of talk to back up at this point, especially since he has admittedly been taking this fight lightly. And although Cro Cop isn’t known for his cardio or preparation, he has an immense amount of talent and power and could put Mir to sleep at any point throughout the fight. Look for this fight to be an all out war, with the win going to the fighter who is able to execute his game plan the best.

As the bout began, Edgar came out strong and faster than ever. He put together a number of excellent combinations and executed a takedown right away, not allowing Penn a moment to breathe. It was evident from the beginning of the fight that Edgar would be the one to dictate the pace. He controlled the octagon for the entire first round, outworking and outstriking Penn for all five minutes.

After the first round, Penn immediately began to show signs of fatigue and discouragement. As the second round began it was more of the same, with Edgar dominating all aspects of the game and controlling the fight completely. Edgar landed numerous crisp combinations while Penn struggled to keep up with his pace and match his boxing. Rounds 3 and 4 passed with Penn landing a takedown, placing Edgar in a dangerous position. Although Penn’s ground game is one of the best in MMA, Edgar was quickly able to scramble back to his feet and regain control of the fight.

The final round of the fight saw an extremely tired and mentally defeated BJ Penn. Knowing he had lost the first 4 rounds and feeling powerless to do anything else, Penn simply went through the motions in round 5. Edgar, however, looked as fresh and dominant as the first 30 seconds of round 1, a testament to his intense cardio training and overall skill level. Edgar pushed through the entire round with the force and determination that he showed from the beginning. Simply put—he outclassed Penn in every way possible and could not be a more deserving champion.

Edgar improves to 13-1 while Penn falls to 15-7-1.

St-Pierre said, “For me, I am a coach—I am the coach of the season, but I think I would be a better use for these guys as a training partner than a coach. I let my coach coach my team and I am more like a training partner with these guys.”

Greg Jackson, St-Pierre’s head coach and personal MMA trainer, could not be a better person to take on a team of young fighters. Having trained notables such a Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, and of course Georges St-Pierre, Jackson has an excellent track record and a talent for developing fight-winning game plans. In addition to Greg Jackson, St-Pierre also brought on John Danaher—an accomplished Renzo Gracie black belt with a zen-like focus and understanding of the art of Jiu-Jitsu.

GSP believes so strongly in his team and their ability to help fighters that he claims to have chosen fighters not on the basis of their current abilities, but what they can become. He said, “The main difference between me and Josh Koscheck for this season is that I chose my team on different criteria than most of the guys in the past. I did not choose a single fighter because he was the strongest or he had the best pedigree on paper. I did choose guys that are very good, but guys who I know by watching them that I can help.”